ACTT's Canine Deterrent Behaviour

ACTT's Canine Deterrent Behaviour is a new canine communication categorization formerly thought to be aggressive in nature and intent. Canine Deterrent Behaviour is simply a function of natural dog behaviour and communication.

Every year, many dogs are unjustly euthanized when normal canine communication is mistaken for aggression. The communication responsible for this confusion is what we’ve coined “Canine Deterrent Behaviour”. The term “Canine Deterrent Behaviour” refers to deliberate communication by dogs used during approaches, in greeting and during interactions, to warn another animal or person to respect its space and/or to discipline unruly or disrespectful behaviour. Some deterrent behaviours include: baring teeth, barking, growling, hackles, lunging, nipping, nose butt, snapping, sneezing, staring, stiffening and more. Always remember that when reading canine body language, it’s important to put the part of the body you’re reading into context with the dog’s history, what the rest of the body is saying and what’s happening in the environment. A communication from any part of a dog’s body can have a variety of meanings depending on the situation. Deterrent behaviour is normal and necessary, and is acceptable as long as the dog only uses as much communication as necessary, does not physically harm the other animal or person and stops the moment the animal or person backs off. ​You’ll commonly see adult dogs use deterrent behaviour to warn or discipline unruly or disrespectful pups or dogs with poor social skills. Although deterrent behaviour is widely accepted in humans, dogs are often not afforded the same right to communicate their discomfort and need for space. ​

actt's Canine communications continuum

Aggression is simply communication. The burning question is where acceptable communication crosses the line into unwanted aggression. For perspective let’s take a look at ACTT’s Canine Communications Continuum.

Think of canine communication and aggression on the same continuum. In Zone-A, you’ll see normal, healthy communication. Zone-B is where the intensity starts to escalate. Social and confident dogs exist in Zone-A. Under-socialized and fearful dogs live in Zone-B. On a best day scenario when anxiety is low, B dogs live in the center of the continuum and start communicating their discomfort with deterrent behaviour. (See ACTT’s Canine Deterrent Behaviour Model above) This is why they’re perceived as “reactive” or dogs with a low threshold.A dog can change its communication according to the situation by sliding up and down on the continuum with the intent of preventing conflict. The dog may communicate its discomfort with calming signals (R1)in Zone-A, but if those signals are not respected, the dog’s behaviour will move toward Zone-B into deterrent behaviour. The line between A and B is where the dog flips from mild to more severe deterrent behaviour leaning toward aggression. While Zone-A dogs tend to warn approaching stimuli utilizing calming signals, B dogs use deterrent behaviour. If forced into closer proximity anxiety levels rise. While A dogs will use more calming signals and possibly mild deterrent behaviour, B dogs quickly slide up the continuum into severe deterrent behaviour ultimately boiling over into aggression. If a dog is punished for communicating, it stops communicating. This is on par with taking the batteries out of a smoke detector. Reprimands cripple communication causing a dog to jump quickly to severe deterrent behaviour in order to protect itself while avoiding the admonishment. Punishing communication can create a highly reactive dog and allowing unwarranted deterrent behaviour can create an aggressive bully that picks fights. When communication is repeatedly punished it creates a learned helplessness and can trigger a primordial survival instinct that manifests in easily triggered self-defense behaviours.To prevent or mitigate aggression and shape a confident dog that’s a master communicator you need to do the following.

Learn when to step in and how to do so without the use of punishment and in a productive manner.​

Use cause and effect consequences for unwarranted deterrent behaviour. (The temporary loss of something of value such as off leash privilege or play time)

The secret to solid communication is socialization and because it’s a skill, the “use it or lose it” rule applies. Dogs should be carefully and thoroughly socialized before four months of age and supervised socialization should continue throughout their lives to keep their skills fine-tuned and to prevent aggression.

actt's Canine Hierarchy of needs

Dogs have co-evolved with humans for over 4000 years. Not surprisingly, as we learn more about them, scientists and ethologists now look to the dog and not primates to better understand human behaviour. Like humans, dogs have needs that are remarkably similar – even beyond their physiological needs.

ACTT’s Canine Hierarchy Of Needs is based on psychologist and theorist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs for humans. As with the human model, dogs' basic needs begin with the most essential survival needs at the bottom of the pyramid, then progress to the top.

Basic Functional/Physiological NeedsThe bottom of the pyramid covers a dog's basic functional or physiological needs such as: food, water, sleep and excrement. These base needs are necessary for life and a common denominator across the animal kingdom. Although Maslow lists sex as a basic human need, humans and dogs can function perfectly fine without it. We've omitted it from the canine model because for dogs, procreation is simply a survival instinct, not a necessary function.

Safety NeedsThe next level includes needs that make a dog feel safe. While life is such that animals seldom if ever feel 100% safe, we strive to create an environment of safety for ourselves, and our pets. These needs include good health and security of body along with consistent access to vital resources such as: social group, shelter, food and water. Although it’s on the bottom tier of basic needs, regular access to food and water also provides a sense of safety. A solid social group is especially important to the needs of familial-based mammals such as dogs. Dogs by nature are social creatures and this need is instinctual and necessary. Well being and a healthy social structure are crucial to a well rounded existence for dogs. Isolation has been proven to be both ill advised and unhealthy for a dog's mental and physical state.

SocializationAs already mentioned, socialization is the key to a well-adjusted, happy dog. Anyone who has not socialized their dog or has rescued an un-socialized dog understands the impact it can have on the dog’s temperament, emotional well being and quality of life for the entire family. Un-socialized or under socialized dogs experience fear in the face of conflict or anything new. Socialization refers to both dog/dog and dog/human relationships as well as environmental changes. The feeling of belonging and bonding and experiencing all that life has to offer in a controlled and safe manner is critical to shaping a positive, confident outlook in the dog's mind and psychology. Socialization is particularly essential in the first four months of a dog's life but should continue throughout its life. Where positive training will strengthen the human/canine trust bond – dominance, pack leader, alpha and correction-based training will erode this bond.

Self Control and Positive Reinforcement TrainingAlthough Maslow’s fourth tier addresses esteem in humans including status, responsibility and reputation, these issues have no meaning to a dog per se. However, dogs thrive on task achievement as well as mental and physical stimulation. Examples of this are: the Border Collie with a herding job, a German Shorthaired Pointer that loves to bird hunt or a Golden Retriever when it retrieves. Although different breeds may have some different motivations, the fulfillment of experiencing their natural behaviours is a vital part of their lives. It can then be said that dogs that are always confined or never have the opportunity to do what comes naturally leads a less enriched life. In fact, dogs that are confined and/or isolated are sure to develop a litany of behaviour problems and possibly health issues as well. A positively well-trained dog with superior impulse and self-control is happier and healthier both physically and mentally. Positive reinforcement and benevolent leadership through resource control will help your dog achieve this level of “esteem”. Dominance and correction-based training will hinder it because it's rooted in fear and intimidation.

Doggy ZenThe top tier is one that unfortunately, many dogs never experience. It’s not the same as Maslow’s human self-actualization because we have creative thought and the ability to cast our thoughts into the past and future. For a dog, the equivalent to self-actualization is the freedom to be themselves without constant interference and instruction from humans. It’s about having time to run and explore by themselves and/or with their own kind on a regular basis. It’s our opinion that you can’t reach the full potential of this level unless the dog is off leash. In fact, the bond that you develop with a dog that achieves this Doggy Zen is simply unrivalled. The top tier for humans is freedom of thought, for dogs it’s the Doggy Zen of off-leash freedom and time to just be a dog.

However, without all the basic needs in place it would not be possible. The needs at the bottom of the pyramid must be in place before the needs on the next tier are possible. A dog cannot enjoy the Zen of just being a dog without its biological needs, safety, confidence, stimulation and training needs being met. Each tier of the pyramid has a huge impact on a dog’s personality, temperament and emotional well being. At the very least when any of the basic needs are not met, the dog’s quality of life is compromised and is simply not as good as it could be.

All the needs on the hierarchy are accomplished through positive reinforcement training, patience, consistency and benevolent leadership on the part of the guardian. Since it's all about mutual trust between dogs and their guardians – ACTT’s Canine Hierarchy Of Needs is also a Hierarchy Of Mutual Trust And Respect.

actt's Central Cause & Effect Model

Humans are not dogs and dogs are not humans. To truly understand the beautiful souls we share or lives with, we must stop thinking like a human when interacting and communicating with dogs. A dog’s brain is not the same as a human brain. Where our thought patterns are complicated, dogs think, learn and reason through simple cause and effect. To fully comprehend this is to truly understand your dog. ​

Cause and effect is one of the most important concepts to understand when training a dog. Although there are many methods available for teaching or changing unwanted behaviour, no matter which tool or technique you choose – they’re all driven by cause and effect. Therefore, all learning theory comes back to this central concept.

Dogs think and learn through cause and effect associations known as classical or Pavlonian conditioning. While studying salivation in dogs, physiologist Ivan Pavlov stumbled upon the concept of cause and effect during the 1890’s. He observed the dogs' salivating when he entered the room and realized that he had become associated with the food. He also realized that anything that became associated with food elicited the same response. To test his theory he taught the dogs that the sound of a bell meant they were about to be presented with food. This created the cause and effect association between the bell and the food.

Bell = Food

A cause and effect brain is very simple – the behaviour that creates the desired outcome will be repeated because a dog will do whatever works to get what it wants – the valued resource. Dogs are notoriously selfish, so it's always all about them, and they don’t waste energy on behaviours with no pay off. If a particular behaviour is rewarded, it will be repeated because it continues to work. If the behaviour is not rewarded, ignored or has an unpleasant outcome, it’s less likely to be repeated and unless the behaviour is self-rewarding, it will eventually extinguish.

We require our dogs to sit and wait for a release before they are fed their meals. Through repetition this becomes normal behaviour. Therefore, when the food bowls appear, they immediately sit and wait for a release before getting their meal. The cause and effect association becomes so deeply engrained that asking for the sit and wait is no longer necessary, because the dogs know what works to earn the resource the quickest. In other words, when the food bowls appear – I do this (sit and wait) and then that happens (food is presented).

Cause and effect works in a dog's brain in two ways:

First Experience – before the cause and effect association is learned

I did this (sat) and then that happened (I was given food)

Sitting becomes associated with food

The sit is reinforced and is therefore more likely to re-occur

Sit = Food

2. Subsequent Experiences – after the cause and effect association is learned and repeatedly reinforced

When that happens (the food bowl appears) this follows (I sit and then I get food)

The food bowl is now associated with sitting and getting food

The dog is more likely to sit when it sees the food bowl

Food Bowl = Sit = Food

During the first cause and effect association, the stimulus or trigger (food bowl) has no meaning to the dog because it’s happening for the first time – the dog just knows it wants the food and will try different behaviours to get it. Through repetition, the stimulus or trigger becomes a learned component of the cause and effect pattern. Only after the dog learns the cause and effect association through repetition does the stimulus or trigger (food bowl) have any meaning to the dog and only then can the resulting behaviour (sit) be predicted.

Aversive techniques, reprimands and punishments may suppress behaviour but they also create stress, anxiety and fear, and can cause learned helplessness. They often result in a myriad of behaviour and aggression problems, and they don’t teach the dog what you want it to do. The behaviour doesn't truly extinguish, it simply becomes shrouded in a blanket of fear and avoidance.

Here in a nutshell is the difference between positive reinforcement and punishment-based training. Positive reinforcement training creates pleasant cause and effect associations for correct choices, while punishment-based training creates unpleasant associations for incorrect choices. Balanced training utilizes both and confuses and stresses the dog because it doesn’t know if something good or bad is about to happen.

As dog handlers we have the ability to make the cause and effect association a pleasant one or an unpleasant one – it’s our choice. Since it’s been scientifically proven that the stress associated with unpleasant experiences inhibits learning and reasoning, there is no excuse for punishment-based training when it’s been proven that dogs learn better with pleasant associations. Because our dogs are innocent, emotional and thinking creatures, we must always strive to make the association pleasant. By doing this we can humanely and effectively train our dogs while protecting their temperaments and emotional well being.

One of the most potent rewards you can give a dog is attention. If you pay attention to the behaviours you like and ignore the behaviours you don’t like, you’ve reinforced the desired behaviours making them more likely to be repeated, and eliminated the attention reward for the undesired behaviours, making them less likely to re-occur. When the unwanted behaviour cannot be ignored, environmental management is necessary to prevent the behaviour from occurring.

For each of the training techniques or processes listed in the ACTT Cause & Effect Model, cause and effect associations must be made for learning to occur. In a dog’s brain, it always comes back to cause and effect.

actt's Canine communication styles

No two humans are exactly alike, not even twins. No two dogs are exactly alike, not even siblings. Like humans, dogs have unique personalities even if their appearances are similar or identical. Although it's proven that dogs and humans think differently and speak a different language, they can both be categorized into four basic styles of communication.

Where a dog sits within the model will indicate which communications you can expect from the dog. A dog that sits in the middle of the model (yellow dot) is a master communicator with a balanced temperament. This dog understands all four quadrants and is able to adjust its behaviour to the communication style of the dog it’s interacting with.

A person with the skills to adjust his or her approach to the communication style of the person he or she is interacting with has a distinct advantage over others that do not. This is especially true in business and education. In fact, the human communication style model is commonly used in sales and negotiations courses to teach people how to communicate effectively with all communication styles. People with these skills tend to get along better with people in general, and dogs with these skills tend to get along better with a wider variety of dogs.

The Bartender

You’ll notice that The Bartender is on the mid to low end of the assertiveness scale with mid to high sociability. The “Bartender” has an extremely cooperative type of personality and prefers to avoid conflict. This dog is very friendly, uses a lot of calming signals and loves to play. They are “social splitters” meaning that they split other dogs for the purpose of preventing conflict. The only problem with this communication style is that these dogs can be too friendly, but that's the best problem to have! They think that every dog and person should love them because they love every dog and person. However, these dogs have the ability to adjust their play style to compliment that of the other dog. If the other dog is timid, The Bartender will lower its energy, use calming signals, lie down to make itself appear smaller, or do whatever it takes to draw out the timid dog to boost it's confidence and earn it's trust. The Bartender just wants everyone to be happy. These dogs are wonderful dogs, are very easy to be around and tend to come with fewer challenges than those of the other three quadrants.

The Bartender And The Other Three Quadrants

Due to the fact that The Bartender can adjust to any of the other communication styles, they generally get along with most dogs and give the rest their space, thus preventing conflict. It is important to note that a Bartender is not a push over. They will stand up for themselves if all attempts at conflict resolution with calming signals fail. Bartenders are also great dogs to have when raising a puppy, because they can correct the puppy without frightening or intimidating it, while teaching it social skills.The Loner

The Loner is a dog of mid to low assertiveness and mid to low sociability. Although most dogs are social by nature, these dogs don’t really care about being with other dogs. They’re aloof and indifferent and are very selective with their playmates. They use plenty of avoidance behaviours and calming signals just like The Bartender because of their low assertiveness, but are also prone to fear behaviours and reactivity because of their low sociability. These dogs require an early, guided, careful, thorough and ongoing socialization to nurture and maintain their social skills and prevent fear-related problems and aggression.

The Loner tends to bond deeply with one person. This doesn’t mean they won’t like the entire family or other people – it simply means that their strongest bond is often with one person. This can create an over-dependency resulting in separation anxiety and a general neediness if demands for attention are rewarded.

The Mouth Piece has mid to low sociability with mid to high assertiveness. This dog has a very determined and direct communication style. As opposed to the “social splitting” of The Bartender, The Mouth Piece is a “working splitter” meaning that it does not split other dogs with the intent of preventing conflict, but instead to control the behaviour and energy of the other dogs. Although these dogs tend to be confident, some start out timid or fearful but with ongoing socialization from a young age, they can evolve into confident dogs.

Although The Mouth Piece utilizes calming signals, it is quick to jump up the communications continuum into deterrent behaviour. In fact, The Mouth Piece often begins its communication with new dogs through the use of deterrent behaviours. Many dogs are intimidated by this intrusive behaviour, as it can be perceived as bullying. The Mouth Piece is notorious for posturing and is usually confrontational with new dogs.

When challenged by another dog, these dogs do not tend to back down unless trained to do so or if the challenger is from The Boss quadrant. They thrive on conflict and often come out of skirmishes with what appears to be happy body language. Many Mouth Pieces are just as happy to scrap, as they are to play.

When they do bond with another dog – they play hard and generally do not adjust their play style to accommodate a less confident dog. They play hard all the time and are usually very vocal when they play, barking, growling, and often herding the other dogs.

When choosing a decoy dog to help rehabilitate a fearful dog, you do not use a Mouth Piece – you use a Bartender. This is because The Mouth Piece will overwhelm the dog and when it doesn’t want to play or play hard, it will become frustrated and will quickly escalate to deterrent behaviours. This is the last thing a timid dog needs.

The Mouth Piece And The Loner

The Mouth Piece and The Loner can be a volatile combination. This is because The Mouth Piece is going to come in hard when The Loner just wants to be left alone. The Loner will be quickly forced into deterrent behaviours and The Mouth Piece will be up for the challenge. This is a combination that can escalate into a fight very quickly. The Mouth Piece and The Loner are like oil and water.

Two Mouth Pieces

A bad combination for obvious reasons is two Mouth Pieces, as they’ll challenge one another until one backs down and if neither backs down you’ll have a dogfight. The Mouth Piece tends to get in trouble with just about every dog – only The Bartender has a temperament capable of tolerating The Mouth Piece and The Boss always has the final say.

On rare occasions, two Mouth Pieces may become fast friends – but sparks will fly when they play! Only experienced dog handlers with excellent skills and timing, who thoroughly understand canine communication and body language, can mitigate the interactions between two Mouth Pieces.

The Mouth Piece tends to prefer dogs that have a backbone to dogs that are shy or timid. In fact, Mouth Pieces tend to bully weaker dogs.

An early, thorough, guided and on-going socialization, positive self-control training and continued management during play are important to bringing out the best in a Mouth Piece.

The Boss

The Boss is a dog with mid to high assertiveness along with mid to high sociability. The Boss is a natural leader and does not need to announce that it is in control.

While The Mouth Piece enters a group of dogs with plenty of posturing and challenging vocalization (because it's in conflict and unsure of its place), The Boss, on the other hand, struts in exuding nothing but confidence and quiet leadership. The Boss is happy as long as the other dogs are doing what it wants. If not, The Boss will first utilize calming signals and then quickly move into deterrent behaviours if the calming signals are not respected.

The Boss is confident and intelligent and has superior self-control. A true leader only uses force when necessary. The Boss’ reprimand is quick and severe enough to leave no doubt in the mind of the other dog that he or she is in control, yet it rarely leaves a mark. These dogs use plenty of calming signals (although less than The Bartender) and when warranted will use plenty of deterrent behaviours as well. When The Boss administers one of these intense corrections, it means business and few dogs will challenge it. Due to its excellent self-control and bite inhibition, he or she can administer a severe correction without causing injury and will only injure another dog when forced do so.

They have great social skills but all interactions are on their terms. These dogs are very independent and although they enjoy the company of respectful dogs, they rarely play with other dogs. When they choose to play, they decide when the game will start and when it will end, and they play with authority. It will be a short play followed by a deterrent behaviour to make it clear when they are finished.

Our Hound cross Sahara was a Boss. She would approach a group of dogs of varying breeds and temperament and walk right through the pack ignoring every one of them. When one paid attention to her, she would display a calming signal by turning her head away and keep going as if to say “you’re not even important enough to be on my radar”.

The Boss can also effectively communicate its need for space from a distance. It was interesting to watch a dog approach Sahara. In one situation when the dog was still thirty yards away Sahara stopped, lowered her head and looked at the approaching dog. It stopped – and then it sat – and then it lay down, displaying an array of calming signals to indicate to her that it did not want conflict. Very little communication was required by Sahara to communicate that she was in control – even from that distance.

The Boss And The Bartender

The Boss and The Bartender always get along because they have an understanding. The Bartender understands and respects The Boss and is not going to challenge him or her. The Boss respects The Bartender unless The Bartender is one that is “too friendly” and continues to vie for The Boss’ attention.

The Boss And The Mouth Piece

The Mouth Piece always gets into trouble with The Boss because The Boss will not tolerate the antics of The Mouth Piece. The Boss will immediately tell The Mouth Piece to back off and if it doesn’t, The Mouth Piece will receive a quick but severe reprimand.

The Boss And The Loner

Like The Boss and The Bartender, The Boss and The Loner have an understanding. They both respect one another’s space and therefore tend to get along just fine, respecting one another while doing their own thing.

Two Bosses

Two Bosses will usually respect one another’s space preventing any conflict but the truth is that there are very few true Bosses. Many guardians believe they have a Boss dog when what they really have is a Mouth Piece. A true Boss is a rarity in the dog world and is not a dog that needs to announce its status.

Which Quadrant Does Your Dog Belong In?

Although determining the quadrant of many dogs is easy and obvious, others are more complicated as they may move throughout their quadrant depending on the situation. Even the toughest dog can experience stress, anxiety and fear, and this can change the behaviour and communication of any dog.

For example, a Boss would be represented by the black dot when interacting with a Loner, as heavy assertiveness is not needed. However, the same dog when interacting with a Mouth Piece will likely be represented by the green dot as a firm reprimand may be required.

Begin by placing a mark on the axis that depicts your dog on a normal day when he or she is relaxed and happy. Where does he or she sit on the assertiveness scale and on the sociability scale? This is assuming that stress; anxiety or fear is not part of the equation. This will determine your dog’s main quadrant. The true balance may not be right on the axis but somewhere in the middle.

We want to raise and train our dogs to keep their personalities in tact and not break their spirits. This is why positive reinforcement training and resource control are so important. This is accomplished by recognizing your dog’s main communication style, loving your dog for what it is, and managing and training to meet your particular dog’s needs.

A Mouth Piece is not a bad dog, but is often misunderstood. The same goes for The Loner. The Boss does not come without its challenges and most people tend to over-react when a Boss reprimands an unruly dog. These three types of dog are often incorrectly labelled as aggressive and punished for normal, necessary and acceptable communications.

When you understand your dog’s communication style along with a thorough understanding of canine communication and body language, you’ll know a lot more about your dog and will be better able to understand your dog’s dog/dog relationships, how it’s feeling, how it’s going to communicate with other dogs and how to prevent problem encounters.

You’ll be able to identify the communication styles of the dogs you meet and will make better choices about suitable playmates for your dog. Ask yourself if you like every person you've ever met? People don’t necessarily get along with everyone they meet and neither do dogs. We get to choose who we spend time with and we should never force a dog to engage when it is clearly telling us it doesn’t want to. A dog should likewise never be forced to engage with dogs that are not suitable to its communication style.Crossing The Line

As mentioned, a dog can move around within its quadrant. A Boss that resides closer to the mid-line of assertiveness and sociability (black dot) is not quite as definitive as a Boss with a high level of sociability and assertiveness (green dot). Higher sociability generally means a higher threshold and more play, and higher assertiveness generally means a lower threshold and less play.

Remember that communications works on a continuum. A dog that lives closer to any line can display the behaviours of the quadrant on the other side of the line. The purple dot indicates a Bartender with high sociability and average assertiveness. Although highly sociable, this Bartender may display some Boss traits. The gold dot shows a Mouth Piece that may display behaviours of The Loner. The yellow dot shows the ideal dog or the dog most likely to get along with other dogs and least likely to get into conflict – provided the dog is thoroughly and carefully socialized, trained with positive methods, and protected from volatile dogs with no self-control or social skills. This dog has average assertiveness and average sociability. But as we know, being overly assertive or overly social can both cause issues with other dogs.

Age and Sociability​

It’s also important to realize that as dogs mature, many lose their interest in rough housing as they did as puppies. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are less social as they will occasionally still enjoy a romp and the company of other dogs. What it means is that it is normal for a dog that is passed puppyhood to display more calming signals and deterrent behaviours if the calming signals are not respected, with unruly or disrespectful puppies or dogs. This is simply the dog’s way of communicating it's need for space, that it does not wish to play or that it's not into playing hard. This is necessary and normal communication that should never be punished. If we punish a dog for communicating its discomfort, we are taking the proverbial batteries out of the smoke detector, and leaving it no choice but to move more quickly up the continuum to more drastic behaviours.

If a dog does not wish to play or play rough any more, it must be allowed to communicate this and must be protected from dogs that will not respect its communication. When dogs are in our classes or in our care, if a dog does not respect the calming signals or deterrent behaviour of another dog, that’s when we step in and split the pair by moving between and re-directing them. And when necessary we implement a “time out” to teach them which behaviours end the fun and which will keep it going. We give a “leave it” cue and then remove the dog that’s not respecting the “back off” communication. By doing so, we are following through with the communication given by the dog that does not wish to play and teaching the offender what we want it to do – essentially intervening to prevent conflict and bullying.

Generally, most well socialized dogs will work things out without the need for interference from humans. However, not all dogs are PhD's in doggy language and require some positive and pro-active guidance from their guardians to help them fine tune their social skills – especially rescue dogs and dogs with little or no socialization.

It’s important to never force a dog that doesn't want to play, to tolerate the behaviour of a dog that does not respect its communication. If you’re taking your dog to the dog park and it’s disciplining the other dogs and not having a good time, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with your dog or that your dog is aggressive, it may simply be that he or she is no longer interested in rough housing and needs its space. If this is the case, the dog park is no longer suitable and you’ll need to find another place to exercise your dog and provide other opportunities for your dog to socialize with suitable companions. We have the right to express our need for space. Our dogs should have the same right and when they do – we owe it them to listen.